Head aches

Imagine3 said:

I have been cycling for the past 7 years and never had any problems with my body's reactions to the physical strain. Recently though, I have been getting really bad head aches after every ride. Obviously I would assume dehydration but I am drinking more than enough water. My heart rate is consistently between 165 and 180 which is pretty normal for me.

Any ideas?

How much water/fluids are you taking in each day, not counting caffeinated drinks? How about during your rides?

To make sure you're getting enough water during your rides, you should weigh yourself before and after rides. Consistent weight loss over the course rides is a sign you're not drinking enough. Related to fluid intake is electrolyte intake, in that an electrolyte imbalance can also cause headaches.

The reality, though, is that there are way too many issues that cause headaches to diagnose the true reason on the internet. It might be time to see a doc to get more informed input.

I am drinking about 1 bottle every 45 minutes to an hour. It is a water and FRS mixture so the electrolytes shouldn't be the problem.

I also thought about losing too much water and have been checking before and after. I am within 1/4 of a pound. I am also eating while on the rides so it is hard to tell what weight is being lost and gained and where it is coming from (water or food).

One thing I was thinking was blood presure. I have noticed my heart rate spike at times. I see 203 and 204's often on hard parts of a ride but I will also every so often see rates between 210-215 for 30-60 seconds or so. Because it is not for a couple seconds but for an extended amounts of time, I want to believe that it is accurate.

Thanks for your thoughts, I will probably seeing my dr. soon. it just bugs me becuase even if I am on a pretty easy ride, I still get bad head aches. Argh.

I guess it's fair to ask, are you getting older by any chance?... Yup, that would explain why things don't work the way they used to. 🙁🙂

I get headaches sometimes after intense training rides or races. I'm pretty certain I'll have one after the 40K TT champs next month. In my case, I don't think it has anything to do with fluid intake, but rather the rise in blood pressure vs. low barometric pressure.

If you call 26 getting older. lol. In my mind I always feel older than my friends because I act much more mature then they do but I don't think that carries over to the physical world. lol.

I forget to mention in my last post, I don't drink any caffeinated drinks. No pop, coffee, tea. So all I get is from the sports drinks while rinding which is not too much.

Imagine3 said:

If you call 26 getting older. lol. In my mind I always feel older than my friends because I act much more mature then they do but I don't think that carries over to the physical world. lol.

I forget to mention in my last post, I don't drink any caffeinated drinks. No pop, coffee, tea. So all I get is from the sports drinks while rinding which is not too much.

When I was 16, I thought 26 was pretty old. Since I was so much smarter then, perhaps I was right. 🙂

Piotr said:

I'm pretty certain I'll have one after the 40K TT champs next month.

Just make sure that your legs hurt way more than your head ever could. 😄

Exercise induced headaches are pretty common across a broad spectrum of ages and activities, including sex. Exertional Headaches, associated with heavy lifting, sprinting, and a rise in systolic blood pressure, are believed to be vascular or migrainous. Effort induced headaches, associated with distance related activites, are of unknown origin. They can be vascular, but like most form of stress headaches, their true etiology is unknown. They are fairly common, and as Swampy suggests, given the pain that is associated with effort exercise in any event, they are often considered the least of our problems. Tonyzackary's recomendation of NSAIDs like Ibuprofren before exercise often works as a preventitive aid (I have seen recomendations as high as 600 mg of Ibuoprofen before a ride, which seems a bit much, but you might start out with lower dosages first, i.e. 200 mg).

If NSAIDs are not reducing the frequency and intensity of these headaches -- headaches are so common and attributable to so many issues that it is impractical to discuss them in terms of eliminating headaches-- or the headaches are of an unusual presentation, i.e. focal or severe, you should see a doctor to eliminate the chance that it is related to a more serious medical condition (rare).

This also assumes that you have eliminated all the other potential causes of headaches including dehydration and poor nutrition.

google "Exercise Induced Headaches" and you will get lots of info from lots of sources about this issue. Based upon the reports, it is a very common issue.

Has anything changed with your helmet recently? Any little pinch, whether it be from a folded or pinched strap, too tight a fit, or perhaps the fit of a cycling cap or headwrap underneath your helmet can also lead to headaches.